A CABLE CAR OR A CLIMB?

“How can you be so foolish! You began by God’s Spirit; do you now want to finish by your own power?”

Gal 3:3 GNB

In Cape Town, South Africa, there is an impressive and beautiful mountain - Table Mountain. It towers above the centre of the city and beckons visitors and residents alike to get to the top. It is only about three thousand feet high but there are stunning views in all directions from the top. There are a number of climbs, some of them up the sheer rock face in the front, and one further back. This one is quite easy and any person who is reasonably fit can manage it. This climb takes about three hours and when you get to the top you are nowhere near the front of the mountain where the great views are. There is also a well-engineered cable car, which, upon payment of a fee, can haul you up in about five or six minutes.

The Christian life is rather like that too. The way the Galatian Christians sought God before hearing of Christ was a troublesome and massive effort. Paul called it “the law”. He had tried it and experienced all the disappointment and frustration of failure. When he came to know Christ he received the spiritual power that Jesus had promised to people when they believed in him and received the gift of the Holy Spirit. So initially had the Galatian Christians. But then they had reverted to their old ways. It appears they preferred climbing rather than getting to the top in a cable car.

Take the cable car of God’s Holy Spirit in your spiritual life. He has offered this to you as a gift. You can rely on his engineering.

PRAYER THOUGHT Lord, give me your empowering Holy Spirit.

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